Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Lightly
Light′ly
,adv.
1.
With little weight; with little force;
as, to tread
lightly
; to press lightly
.Yet shall thy grave with rising flowers be drest,
And the green turf lie
And the green turf lie
lightly
on thy breast. Pope.
Him thus intent Ithuriel with his spear
Touched
Touched
lightly
. Milton.
2.
Swiftly; nimbly; with agility.
So mikle was that barge, it might not
lightly
sail. R. of Brunne.
Watch what thou seest and
lightly
bring me word. Tennyson.
3.
Without deep impression.
The soft ideas of the cheerful note,
Lightly
received, were easily forgot. Prior.
4.
In a small degree; slightly; not severely.
At the first he
lightly
afflicted the land of Zebulun . . . and afterward did more grievously afflict her. Is. ix. 1.
5.
With little effort or difficulty; easily; readily.
That
lightly
come, shall lightly
go. Old Proverb.
They come
lightly
by the malt, and need not spare it. Sir W. Scott.
6.
Without reason, or for reasons of little weight.
Flatter not the rich, neither do thou willingly or
lightly
appear before great personages. Jer. Taylor.
7.
Commonly; usually.
[Obs.]
Bp. Fisher.
The great thieves of a state are
lightly
the officers of the crown. B. Jonson.
8.
Without dejection; cheerfully.
“Seeming to bear it lightly.” Shak.
9.
Without heed or care; with levity; gayly; airily.
Matrimony . . . is not by any to be enterprised, nor taken in hand, unadvisedly,
lightly
, or wantonly. Book of Common Prayer [Eng. Ed.].
10.
Not chastely; wantonly.
Swift.
Webster 1828 Edition
Lightly
LIGHTLY
,adv.
1.
With little weight; as, to tread lightly; to press lightly.2.
Without deep impression.The soft ideas of the cheerful note, lightly received, were easily forgot.
3.
Easily; readily; without difficulty; of course.4.
Without reason, or for reasons of little weight.Flatter not the rich, neither do thou willingly or lightly appear before great personages.
5.
Without dejection; cheerfully.Bid that welcome which comes to punish us, and we punish it, seeming to bear it lightly.
6.
Not chastely; wantonly.7.
Nimbly; with agility; not heavily or tardily.He led me lightly o'er the stream.
8.
Gaily; airily; with levity; without heed or care.Definition 2024
lightly
lightly
English
Adverb
lightly (comparative lightlier or more lightly, superlative lightliest or most lightly)
- In a light manner.
- As a teacher, I don't take rudeness in class lightly.
- 1907, Robert W[illiam] Chambers, “chapter VIII”, in The Younger Set (Project Gutenberg; EBook #14852), New York, N.Y.: A. L. Burt Company, published 1 February 2005 (Project Gutenberg version), OCLC 4241346:
- Elbows almost touching they leaned at ease, idly reading the almost obliterated lines engraved there. ¶ "I never understood it," she observed, lightly scornful. "What occult meaning has a sun-dial for the spooney? I'm sure I don't want to read riddles in a strange gentleman's optics."
Derived terms
Translations
in a light manner
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